Ball-retainer.



No. 686,6!7'. Patented Nov. I2, 1901. H. B.--KEIPER, BALL RETAINER.

(Application filed Dec. 23, 1897.)

(ModeL) UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY l5. KEIPER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STAR BALL RETAINER COMPANY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, AND JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NE /V JERSEY.

BALL-RETAIN ER.

\ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 686,617, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed December 23, 1897. Serial No. 663,184- (Model) I To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,HENRY B. KEIPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Retainers for Antifriction-Bearings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable IO others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in an independent ball-retainer to be used in antifriction-bearings, and it may be considered as closely analogous to the invention described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent filed October 9, 1897, Serial No. 654,649, (now Patent No. 604,678, dated May 24:, 1898,) performing its functionsin the same 2o manner, moving with the balls and keeping them from rubbing against each other, reducing friction to a minimum, the construction being very compact and yet yielding additional strength.

The elements of the invention will severally and at large appear in the following description, and they will be separately and collectively set forth in the claims.

The purposes of the invention are attained by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate like parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional elevation [of a bicycle driving-wheel hub, showing in position in the ends thereof ballretainers embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents in plan one of the ball-retainers 4'0 detached and with balls therein. Fig. 3 represents the retainer in perspective without the balls. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent different forms of the retainer in cross-section.

In the drawings, 1 designates an ordinary bicycle driving-wheel hub; 2, a central shaft or bolt Well known to the trade; 3 and 4, the

usual cones screwed onto said shaft or bolt,

while 5 designates the balls, rolling in the usual races.

As shown in the drawings, the retainer is made in part from a tube having at one end an outwardly-projectingring-flange. Circular cuts through said flange and extending downwardly through the tube to prescribed points from the other end thereof leave practically sectoral portions or of the flange and columns or standards a of the tube,with an intact end ed, the cuts forming practically U-shaped recesses or spaces a of less width than the diameters of the balls to be seated therein. Onto the intact end a of the tube in that form of the device shown in Fig. lis sleeved acircular ring-plate a", forming an annular base portion and having at its outer edge or margin anupwardly-turned rib or ring-wall a, having a prescribed height, and the upper edge of which contacts with the convex faces of the seated balls below their centers, the side edges of the sectoral portions (1 contacting with said faces above said centers, and after balls are seated in said recesses said ring-plate maybe rigidly affixed to said tube end, as by brazing or riveting; but preferably the balls are inserted after the retainer is complete by forcing them into place past the points of the sectoral portions, which yield sufficiently for this purpose and snap back into place to confine the balls.

When so desired, the retainer may be made in one piece, as by casting or pressing, the recesses being punched, and the edges may be rounded, as shown at a in Fig. 5 and at a a in Fig. 6, all without changing the character or departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will here be observed that the number of .balls is not restricted, but is determined by balls from rubbing against each other; that the balls should be loosely seated in said recesses, which should be sufliciently large and so shaped as to present the least number of possible points of contact, and that the upper edge of the rib a should hear such relation to the outer edges of the flange-sectors a as to prevent the seated balls from falling out of the recesses in this direction; that when the balls are seated in the recesses, as shown, their surfaces cannot contact with or rub against the face of the ring-plate a, and when the retainer occupies the positions indicated said balls will revolve or roll between the central cone and outer ball-race in the usual manner without rubbing against each other, thereby avoiding the usual sliding or opposing friction; that the retainer carrying the balls, as shown, moves with said balls as they perform their functions, reducing all friction to a minimum, and when a bearing is taken apart for anypurpose whatever the retainer can be readily removed or again put in place, the balls remaining in order or in normal positions.

In the preferred form of my invention the ball-retaining device consists of a ring-shaped portion or base constructed integrally witha series of standards rising or springing from its inner edge in the plane of the axis of the ring and terminating in flaring or sectorshaped flanges, which are arranged substantially at right angles to the standards proper and overlie or extend transversely of said ring, the latterhavingits outeredge upturned, so that the balls may be sprung into the spaces formed for receiving and confining them between adjacent standards and be held in such spaces by contact with said upturned edge and outturned flanges when the retainer is removed from the ball race or hearing; but the angularly-arranged flanges need not necessarily extend at right: angles to the standards proper, nor is it necessary that the latter should stand perpendicular to the base, as it may be practicable in some cases to slightly curve or vary the form of the stand ards and their flanges (otherwise termed flaps and extensions, respectively) and also the form of the ring-shaped portion or base without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described the invention and ascertained and shown the manner in which it is to be performed, what I consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ball-retaining device for ball-bearings consisting of a ring-shaped portion or base having a series of standards springing from one edge thereof only and provided with sector-shaped or flaring angularly-arranged extensions, whereby suitable spaces are formed for receiving and confining the balls between adjacent standards.

2. A ball-retainer consisting of an annular base portion and a series of integral parts extending from one edge only of said base and' having flaring portions arranged at an angle thereto, whereby suitable spaces are formed for receiving balls which are sprung into said spaces and confined between said parts.

3. A ball-retaining device for ball-bearings, consisting of a ring-shaped portion or base having a series of standards springing axially from one edge thereof only and terminating in sector-shaped or flaring an gularly-arranged flanges or extensions, whereby suitable spaces are formed for receiving and confining the balls between adjacent standards.

4. Aball-retaining device forball-bearings, consisting of a ring-shaped portion or base having a series of standards springing from its inner edge only and terminating in outwardly-turned sector-shaped or flaring extensions or flanges, whereby suitable spaces are formed for receiving and confining the balls between adjacent standards.

5. A ball-retainin g device for ball-bearin gs consisting of a ring-shaped portion or base having flaps with extensions which are laterally enlarged to produce pointed ends, the flaps being upwardlyand the extensions outwardly bent, in combination with balls held on the base in the spaces created by said flaps and their extensions, substantially as set forth.

6. A ball-retainer for antifriction-bearings the same comprising an annular base portion or ring with an upturned outer edge, a circular series of standards springing from the inner edge of said ring and separated by openings of less width than the balls to be retained, and flanges of substantially sectoral form at the ends of the standards projecting outwardly over the base-ring so as to combine with the upturned edge of the latter in retaining the balls.

7. A ball-retainer for antifriction-bearings comprising a central tubular portion cut out at intervals forming U-shaped spaces with intervening standards, outward-projecting sectoral flanges on the latter, and a flange on the intact end of the tube with a marginal rib which combines with the edge of the sectoral flanges in confining the balls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. KEIPER.

Witnesses:

HARVEY B. LUTZ, NANCY I. KEIPER.

IIO 

